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Ballot Issues
Dale Bumpers College
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| As much as 30 percent of a home’s energy is lost through duct leakage, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. Energy auditors use advanced diagnostic tools to determine the source(s) of leaks. Sealing ducts at connections and seams can save homeowners hundreds of dollars on their energy bills each year. |
An Arkansas law passed more than 30 years ago during the energy crisis of the 1970s is offering today’s workforce an opportunity to learn a new skill set that will help them succeed in the emerging green-energy economy.
During the energy crises of the 1970s, Arkansas legislators passed the Energy Conservation Endorsement Act. While the law outlined the regulatory structure for implementing statewide conservation and energy efficiency programs, it did not contain any mandates to do so.
Fast forward to 2007. Another national energy crisis and a weakening economy were drivers that prompted the Arkansas Public Service Commission (PSC) to act. Using the authority given to the Commission in the 1977 law, the PSC adopted rules to establish the state’s first utility-funded energy efficiency programs. All investor-owned utilities, both gas and electric, under the PSC’s jurisdiction would, beginning in 2008, deploy various energy efficiency programs for all customer classes (i.e., residential, commercial and industrial customers).
For example, under this initiative, Entergy Arkansas provides residential customers with energy audits and financial incentives for employing energy efficiency improvements. Programs like these need a trained workforce. Energy Efficiency Arkansas, or EEA, partnership has been established to train these workers to conduct energy audits and be knowledgeable about how to operate the advanced technologies available today. “There was a void that we [the EEA partners] must address before moving forward. The energy efficiency industry has advanced so much that it has become a highly specialized field with national certifications and standards. The state just didn’t have enough people out there in this industry with the necessary skill sets,” explained Susan Recken, Energy Efficiency Programs Coordinator at the Arkansas Energy Office.
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With an increasing focus on energy efficiency, the demand for a workforce of skilled professionals is expected to rise. |
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| Doug Walter, president of the Kansas Building Science Institute, led the five-day workshop. The Institute’s home energy rater training is accredited by the Residential Energy Services Network. Participants included utility customer service representatives, housing inspectors, electricians and small business owners. |
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| Participants in the Home Energy Rater Training and Certification class use a smoke puffer to detect leakage paths during an on-site demonstration. Typical places for air leakage are recessed lights, doors, windows and attic hatches. |
The EEA partnership among the Arkansas Energy Office of the Economic Development Commission, the investor-owned electric and gas utilities, the state’s electric cooperatives and the PSC, is trying to reduce this void through a series of training courses that offer certification in new fields of efficiency expertise. In April, the EEA sponsored a Home Energy Rater Training and Certification class. Limited to 15 participants, the class filled up quickly. “The group simply can’t be any larger because of the complexity of the material and the hands-on training that are involved,” Recken explained.
The training is an intensive week of learning building science principles and incorporating that knowledge into the actual practice of conducting on-site home energy inspections and preparing home energy ratings. Participants are expected to complete homework assignments and are given tests throughout the week. Following the training, participants may begin the process of becoming nationally certified, which has several benefits. Certified raters are recognized by many organizations and programs, including ENERGY STAR, the U.S. Department of Energy, the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System and the National Association of Home Builders.
To date, EEA has held one Energy Rater Training and Certification class as well as training for Heating Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) professionals on proper sizing of equipment and duct sealing.
It may have taken 30 years to finally implement, but Arkansas’ training opportunities couldn’t have come at a better time. With an increasing focus on energy efficiency, the demand for skilled professionals is expected to rise. A survey conducted by the U.S. Association of Energy Engineers indicates there will be a shortage of qualified professionals in the energy efficiency field in the next five years. Cities in Texas, Maryland, Colorado and Florida are now requiring energy audits of all homes before they can be put on the market for sale. A similar mandate is in place for all European Union nations.
For more information on about Energy Efficiency Arkansas, go to http://energyefficiencyarkansas.org.
Joe Kuonen: A Pioneer of the Energy Efficiency Industry
While most of us do our best to avoid auditors, Joe Kuonen’s phone is ringing steadily these days. As consumers become more aware of the rising cost of energy and its potential impact on climate change, they are increasingly turning to energy auditors like Kuonen to identify ways to improve the energy efficiency of their homes and businesses.
Kuonen, a program manager at CLEAResult Consulting, Inc., has been preaching the benefits of energy efficiency for more than 25 years, long before the terms ‘green job’ and ‘green economy’ entered the mainstream. After graduating from college, Kuonen worked restoring historic homes in the central Arkansas area and saw firsthand how little importance homeowners placed on efficiency. “I’d make suggestions for putting insulation in the walls and installing energy-saving windows, and the customers would hesitate because of the initial costs involved,” he explained. “Efficiency always played a second fiddle to cosmetics.”
Kuonen left the remodeling business to work in what would now be considered the green industry. In the early 1990s, Kuonen served as chief energy rater for Energy Rated Homes of Arkansas. He and a partner started Comfort Diagnostics & Solutions, a home performance contracting corporation, in 1995, and for 10 years they hosted a live radio call-in show to increase public awareness about the benefits of energy-efficient renovations and technologies.
“At the time, the general public equated the term energy efficiency with sacrifices — setting your thermostat at a certain temperature and wearing a sweater,” Kuonen said. After 12 years, the business closed and Kuonen became a consultant, teaching professionals how to conduct energy audits and assisting building contractors across the country, before joining CleaResult Consulting, Inc.
Today, there are federal and state incentives in place to encourage consumers to make their homes and businesses more energy efficient, which are keeping the state’s energy efficiency pioneers busier than ever.
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Green jobs are positions in agriculture, manufacturing, construction, installation and maintenance, as well as scientific and technical, administrative and service-related activities, that contribute substantially to preserving or restoring environmental quality. — United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) |
Public Policy
The Arkansas General Assembly recessed on April 9, after 88 days in session. Of the 2,200-plus bills filed, 1,501 made it to Governor Mike Beebe’s desk to be signed into law. Like many other states, Arkansas faced a budget shortfall, but money from previous surplus years allowed legislators to maintain a balanced budget as required by the state constitution and further reduce the state sales tax on food and grocery-related items, increase funding for public education and support economic development.
In 2007, the legislature created the Arkansas Governor’s Commission on Global Warming. The 21-member commission produced a report last November containing 54 recommendations for reducing the state’s contribution to climate change. Although a number of bills filed in this session either originated with the commission or reflected its intent, only a handful of energy bills were enacted.
One noteworthy measure recommended by the Global Warming Commission that passed is HB 1663, now Act 1494. Sponsored by Representative Kathy Webb, co-chair of the Commission, the new law promotes the conservation of energy and natural resources in buildings owned by the state or institutions of higher education. It establishes performance criteria and goals for newly constructed and older renovated public buildings.
Act 1494 directs the Arkansas Energy Office to develop a plan for reducing energy use in all existing state buildings by 20 percent by 2014 and a 30 percent reduction by 2017. According to the Arkansas Energy Office of the Arkansas Economic Development Commission, the state spends on average $100 million annually on energy for state buildings, including public universities and colleges. According to Webb, Arkansas’ law is modeled on similar legislation in North Carolina, which saves millions in taxpayer dollars annually.
Another energy and climate change bill passed by the General Assembly, Act 1336, extends the legislative task force on sustainable building design and practices. The 20-member task force, composed of legislators and members of the public, is charged with developing goals and strategies to promote energy efficiency in state buildings.
HB 1796, now Act 1301, creates the Arkansas Alternative Energy Commission to study the needs and impacts of various forms of alternative energy on the economic future of Arkansas. Other legislation of interest includes Act 977, which increases the incentives for alternative fuel feedstock processors and distributors, Act 737, which provides a severance tax exemption for biomass grown for biofuel production and Act 736, which provides incentives such as tax exemptions for qualified windmill blade and component manufacturers. Finally, Act 1196 requires cities and counties to adopt the 2004 energy code for new building construction. Previously, adoption of the energy code was optional.
All of the acts passed by the Arkansas General Assembly may be found at www.arkleg.state.ar.us/assembly/2009/R/Pages/Home.aspx.
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Act 1494 promotes the conservation of energy in state buildings or institutions of higher education. |
Green Degrees: Community Colleges Add Renewable Energy Technology Program
Arkansas’ economic future will be directly linked to its ability to train and educate a workforce with the new skills needed to compete in the growing renewable energy sector. To this end, the state’s community colleges have developed a Renewable Energy Technology degree program.
In 2007, Phillips Community College of the University of Arkansas (PCCUA), one of five community colleges that make up the Arkansas Delta Training and Education Consortium (ADTEC), received a $1.9 million community- based training grant from the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) to support the development of a new certification and degree program in renewable energy technology and alternative fuels.
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| Biodiesel is an alternative fuel that can be used as an additive to or replacement for petroleum-based diesel in cars, buses, trucks, farm and other heavy equipment. It can be manufactured from vegetable oils, animal fats and recycled greases. Finding new sources and processes for making alternative fuels is important to the industry’s success. |
The program is designed for students interested in careers in the renewable energy and alternative fuels industries. “All of the colleges worked hard to create the curriculum for this program. It was approved by the Arkansas Higher Education Coordinating Board in April, and now we’re ready to market it,” Tracy McGraw, director of the Center of Excellence in Renewable Energy Technology Education at PCCUA, said. All of the Consortium partners will begin offering classes in the fall. The five-college Consortium is composed of PCCUA Stuttgart, Helena and DeWitt campuses, East Arkansas Community College in Forrest City, Mid South Community College in West Memphis, Arkansas North East Community College at Blytheville and Arkansas State University at Newport.
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| Students in the Renewable Energy Technology program will learn how to make biodiesel using a processor similar to the one shown in the photo. The biodiesel industry can produce fuel and create jobs in communities while utilizing local waste products. |
To encourage enrollment in the program, each college will use a portion of the grant funds to pay tuition and fees for students majoring in Renewable Energy Technology. PCCUA will offer classes at its DeWitt and Stuttgart campuses as well. A demonstration project, which will be utilized by all students in the program as a type of outdoor laboratory, is located in DeWitt. “The community has been just great. They’ve been supportive of this initiative and of this site. This will help students see from start to finish what it takes to make renewable energy,” Terry Turner, a PPCUA instructor at the DeWitt campus, said. Students will grow various oilseed crops for crushing into biodiesel feedstocks and switchgrass, which is used to produce cellulosic ethanol. Alternative sources of energy such as solar and wind will be used to power irrigation units. The demonstration project is sponsored by PCCUA, ADTEC, Arkansas Delta Workforce Initiative for Renewable Energy Development (ADWIRED), and DOL.
“Everyone’s talking about going green and green jobs and no one really knows what that means, but we do know that there is a lot of opportunity in our state for people interested in renewable and alternative energy,” Turner said. “The future is going to change, and that means we need to change the way we teach and what we teach so Arkansas can continue to benefit.”
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To encourage enrollment in the program, each college will assist with tuition and fees for students majoring in Renewable Energy Technology and Alternative Fuels. |
Trend Watch
USGBC Arkansas Chapter Hosts Monthly Meetings for
Homeowners.
The Arkansas Chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC)
recently began hosting a brown bag lunch lecture series for homeowners
interested in green renovation. The programs take place on the fourth
Thursday of each month at the Central Arkansas Library in Little Rock,
Ark. The USGBC is a non-profit organization committed to expanding
sustainable, energy efficient building practices. For more information,
contact Linda K. Smith at
usgbcar@yahoo.com.
Fayetteville High School’s Green Team Completes GHG Inventory. The Fayetteville High School’s Green Team completed a greenhouse gas inventory of its campus and presented the results to the school board in April. More than 50 Green Team students participated in the project, which included evaluations of the amount of solid waste, natural gas and electricity used in the school. Nick Brown, the executive assistant for sustainability for the University of Arkansas, aided Green Team members with both the research and the scientific analysis used to determine actual consumption.
Arkansas Energy Office, John Brown University Develop Anemometer Loan Program. The Arkansas Economic Development Commission’s Energy Office and the Renewable Energy Department at John Brown University (JBU) have partnered to develop an anemometer loan program designed to allow land owners in Arkansas to measure wind energy potential. JBU faculty and students will install wind measurement instrumentation and monitor the data from their campus in Siloam Springs. For more information about the program and application requirements, contact Jenny Ahlen at (501) 682-2460 or jahlen@arkansasedc.com.
Arkansas Governor Issues Executive Order on Energy Efficiency. Arkansas Governor Mike Beebe issued an executive order on May 28, directing state agencies to submit plans on how to save energy within their operations. The strategic plans, which are to be completed by October 31, must also include a timeline for making energy efficiency changes. To assist state agencies in implementing energy conservation measures, a $3 million revolving loan fund has been established. Governor Beebe said he hopes to receive $12 million from federal stimulus money to add to the fund.
Mark Your Calendar
Transition to a Bioeconomy: The Role of Extension in Energy
June 30 – July 1, 2009 • Little Rock, Arkansas
Hosted by the Farm Foundation, the USDA Office of Energy Policy and New Uses and the University of Arkansas, this conference features experts working in renewable energy, biofuels, energy efficiency and energy technologies. For more information, go to www.farmfoundation.org.
The Solar Energy Course for Architects, Engineers and Contractors
July 16, 2009 • Little Rock, Arkansas
This one day seminar will explore the economics of using solar energy and examine the equipment and technology used in photovoltaic solar energy systems. For more information, e-mail doug@halfmoonseminars.com or call (715) 835-5900.
Seventh Annual Green Building Conference
September 10 – 11, 2009 • Rogers, Arkansas
Sponsored by the Arkansas Chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council, this two-day conference will feature industry-respected speakers, workshops and a tradeshow featuring leading environmentally conscious vendors, professionals and organizations. For more information, call (501) 680-1573 or send an e-mail to usgbcar@yahoo.com.
Energizing Arkansas is a joint education project of the Arkansas Energy Office of the Arkansas Economic Development Commission and the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture Public Policy Center. The goal of this newsletter is to provide timely, informative articles on the development of energy efficiency, renewable energy and energy policy in Arkansas. Each issue of Energizing Arkansas will explore new research and technology in the bioenergy sector, examine the economic, environmental and policy impacts of bioenergy and spotlight people and organizations leading the pack in sustainable, renewable energy.
Electronic versions of the newsletter as well as an accompanying video clip highlighting one of the stories featured in each issue may be accessed at www.arkansasenergy.org or at ppc.uaex.edu. E-mail your questions or comments to energizingarkansas@uaex.edu.
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